– The Breakup That Shattered Me
I met Seyi during my NYSC in Akwa Ibom. He was everything I had ever prayed for—kind, ambitious, and always smiling. We started as friends, but it wasn’t long before we were doing everything together: CDS, church, cooking, and long walks back to the lodge under the hot Uyo sun.
By the time our service year ended, he had promised me marriage. I moved back to Lagos. He said he would join me soon and start life afresh with me. I waited.
A month became three, three became seven. Communication reduced. Calls were shorter. His texts became colder. Then one night, I saw a picture on Instagram.
He was getting married.
And no… it wasn’t to me.
I felt like my soul was yanked out of my body. I screamed, cried, cursed, and even collapsed in my room. My neighbor had to break the door to get me to the hospital.
People mocked me.
My friends said, “We told you he was too good to be true.”
My mum said, “Stop crying, men are all the same.”
But none of that helped.
The nights were the worst. I would stare at the ceiling for hours, thinking of how I gave my all to a man who left me without goodbye.
One night, I stood in front of the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. My eyes were puffy, my lips dry, and my skin… a mess. That was when the idea hit me like a slap.
“If love can break me, then maybe business can rebuild me.”
Shea Butter and Second Chances
I remembered how Seyi used to tease me:
“You and this your shea butter… are you planning to open a skincare shop?”
Back then, it was just a hobby. I used to mix my own oils—shea butter, turmeric, honey—for fun. But now, it was going to be my healing.
I started with ₦12,000. That was all I had left after paying rent. I bought raw shea butter from Kogi, coconut oil from Oyingbo market, and some empty jars. I stayed up all night watching YouTube videos on natural skincare formulation. My first batch looked like mashed yam, but I packaged it with love and hope.
I sold my first five jars in one week—to my neighbor, church friend, and two Instagram vendors I begged for reposts.
The feedback?
“My skin feels so soft!”
“Girl, did you add magic to this thing?”
That was all I needed.
I created a name: “GlowRebirth”
A slogan: “Heal your skin, heal your soul.”
And an Instagram page.
I would post customer feedbacks, before-and-after pictures, and motivational quotes about heartbreak, confidence, and bouncing back.
Every order felt like a piece of my heart was being put back together.
From Pain to Profit
Six months later, I was selling 50 jars a week. I upgraded my packaging. I learned how to design labels, run Instagram ads, and pitch to influencers.
But it wasn’t easy.
Some days I would cry when orders didn’t come in. Other days I’d run around Ojota, begging dispatch riders to deliver creams before 6pm. I had sleepless nights. Burnt batches. Lost customers.
But I also had dreams.
I wanted my products to enter supermarkets, spas, salons.
And one day, out of nowhere, I got a DM:
“Hi, I’m Ifeoma from YangaBeauty. We love your products. Would you be open to collaboration?”
I screamed. Cried. Prayed. Called my mum.
That deal changed everything. We launched a 3-in-1 Glow Kit together. It sold out in 3 days. My followers doubled. I made ₦380,000 profit in one week — my biggest at the time.
And guess who texted me two months later?
Seyi.
“Hey, I’m proud of you. I see what you’re doing. Maybe we could talk sometime?”
I replied with one word:
“Blocked.” ✅
EPILOGUE – The New Me
Today, GlowRebirth is a seven-figure brand. I’ve hired two assistants, rented a small office in Surulere, and trained over 30 young women in natural skincare formulation.
I speak at events. I’ve been featured in local blogs and small beauty expos. But the best part? I now look in the mirror and see a woman who fought her way back from the dust of heartbreak.
If you’re reading this and going through pain, hear me:
Turn that pain into power.
Turn that heartbreak into hustle.
Let your tears water your own growth.
Because one day, the same people who broke you…
Will wish they never let you go.
